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Mild Mannered Reviews - Teen Titans Comics

Teen Titans #4

Teen Titans #4

Scheduled to arrive in stores: December 28, 2011

Cover date: February 2012

"Danger Squared!"

Writer: Scott Lobdell
Penciller: Brett Booth
Inker: Norman Rapmund

Reviewed by: Shawn Morrissey

Click to enlarge



It's New Year's Eve but Cassie isn't much in the mood for celebrating. As she charges through revelers in New York's Times Square, she is pursued by a N.O.W.H.E.R.E. created threat: Superboy.

Meanwhile, Tim is doing his best to comfort Celine, but given the brevity of the situation they've been collectively facing since issue #1, Tim is finding that comforting her is a strain on his leadership skills. His abilities are pressured even greater by the mysterious arrival of Kid Flash and Solstice, who just moments before were in some chilly dire straights in Antarctica.

Back in Time Square, Cassie and Superboy start knocking each other's heads. Cassie may be Wonder Girl, but she's proving to be little match for the Boy of Steel. As the battle broadcasts on live TV, Tim and the gang come to the aid of Cassie. For the first time in this title we see the entirety of the Teen Titans together, but will their efforts be enough to stop the incredibly powerful Superboy?

4Story - 4: I've decided to be a little lenient with my mark here. I've been finding the proportions of this title to be far from titanic, but I had fun with this issue, the most since issue #1. The root of the enjoyment came mostly from the fight between Superboy and Wonder Girl and the banter between Tim and Bart. The complete introduction of Superboy in the title was overdue but he arrives with a bang. Seeing Tim and Bart go at it is good entertainment, especially in the final scene where Bart shows up wearing one of Tim's old Robin costumes. "It was in the back of your closet!" While it was fun, I hope this doesn't become the norm. One of the reasons I generally dislike team-ups is because of the consistent lack of cohesion between members. Tim is the leader and his character could be cheapened by persistent arguments over sweaters.

If I was to be less considerate of the fun in this issue, my score would be a full mark lower. There is too much passed over, including the mysterious android in issue #3 and the apparent lack of interest in how Kid Flash and Solstice suddenly arrived in New York from the Antarctic. The latter, in particular, is the most interesting mystery we've seen so far, but it's brushed aside far too easily. I blame the sluggish nature of the title, which should have fully introduced Superboy no later than #3 allowing room to explore these other intriguing aspects.

4Art - 4: There seems to be a bit of a withdrawal in Booth's pencils this month. More than ever his characters all look fairly similar and the fine attention to detail isn't nearly as pronounced. The colors and inks are still popping though.

5Cover Art - 5: I love this cover! There's something grand about it that is suitable for the most celebrated night of the year (in the West, anyway). It isn't deceiving and snaps with the urgency that we get a glimpse at in the story through Cassie's internal dialogue. This is my favorite cover of this weeks' releases.


Mild Mannered Reviews

2012

Note: Month dates are from the issue covers, not the actual date when the comic went on sale.

January 2012

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